With Republican supermajorities in both chambers of Florida’s legislature and one of the leading Republican governors in the country, the introduction of a six-week abortion ban seems a little overdue. But yesterday, the plan was finally introduced by Fort Pierce Republican Senator Erin Grall: the “heartbeat bill,” like many others passed in other states, would prevent doctors from performing abortions six weeks after conception.
Florida’s current 15-week threshold, seen as a reasonable compromise since it was passed last year, could be on the chopping block. The Florida legislature has been a socially conservative laboratory in recent years, and this law is in line with that.
But there are exceptions in the law. The life of the mother being in jeopardy, impregnation by rape or incest, and fetal abnormalities are suitable conditions for abortions to be performed.
“Exceptions are sensible. And like I said, we welcome pro-life legislation,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said. While abortion bans on this scale have been in the mix before in Florida, the strength of Republicans in the state might be the deciding factor for this legislation. It could also prove a boost for DeSantis’s presidential ambitions by solidifying his pro-life credentials among Republicans, though more Americans (and Floridians) support abortion rights than oppose them. DeSantis has previously not been as conservative on abortion as other governors, as signaled by his endorsement of a comparatively modest 15-week ban.
Palm Coast Republican and the House speaker Paul Renner said the bill included “trigger language,” meaning that it would not take effect until after the Florida Supreme Court rules on that 15-week abortion ban.
